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The TennesseanThu, 13 Mar 2014 22:16:58 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6Bobby Johnson’s timing eliminated any coaching searchhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/vanderbilt/2010/07/14/johnsons-timing-eliminated-coaching-search/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/vanderbilt/2010/07/14/johnsons-timing-eliminated-coaching-search/#commentsThu, 15 Jul 2010 04:58:48 +0000Jeff Lockridgehttp://blogs.tennessean.com/vanderbilt/?p=904Had Bobby Johnson come to the conclusion that he was retiring between last November and spring practice, rather than in July with the season opener seven weeks away, would Robbie Caldwell be standing before us as Vanderbilt’s interim football coach?

Maybe.

And maybe not.

Timing is everything in the world of sports, and the timing of this bombshell took two potential options and cut one out. Coaching searches at this stage of the year are not practical, not even feasible.

Thus Caldwell, a very likeable candidate and the next man in line as mutually decided on by vice chancellor David Williams and Johnson, got the nod for 2010 and perhaps beyond, if things go well.

I don’t believe that’s why Johnson worked an extra six months, to make sure Caldwell got a shot at the job. But now it’s a byproduct.

So the question was posed on Wednesday to Williams: If Johnson had retired last winter, would Caldwell still have been named interim coach? Or would Vanderbilt have opened up a coaching search, which now it will only do if deemed necessary after this season?

“My gut reaction is my recommendation would have been to go with Robbie, even if that was the case,” Williams replied. “I can’t answer that emphatically, but that would have been my recommendation.

“I do believe there’s something very important happening here with keeping this staff together. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that. But you never say never.”

The question now is what will be judged a successful year for Caldwell? What gets the interim tag removed from his title? Would 4-8 do the trick with this offense?

Some believe Vanderbilt needs to open up a coaching search regardless of what happens this season. Tell me what you think.